Owner's Share

Again, having solved problems, he gets handed new problems - this one is _complicated_, with plots intersecting on their heads. More interesting characters. And one too convenient death - he's not allowed to have a solid relationship that lasts. The story is kind of left hanging - this particular matter is (more or less) resolved, but now Ish has a ship and what happens next? But I'm OK with that, I think I've seen enough of Ish. Unless Lowell is willing to let him actually have a permanent relationship. I hope he shows up in the other Solar Clipper stories - I love that kind of crossover.

Reread - This is a huge book - twice or three times as long as the previous books in the series. And it could have been broken up into several - but show more I'm glad it wasn't. It starts with Ish being guided - manipulated - into leaving the Agamemnon, and getting his own ship. He does get pushed into a lot of things - and then does them very well. This could have been a new life for him, but off-ship complications interfere. Gossip rags and betrayal on several levels, financial maneuvers, and finally a physical attack that ... Yeah, that's the axe that chops off any chance of him continuing as is. The stories of the trips are fun, the various characters - crew and passengers - are, well, very varied. This ends with him deciding to leave the Iris - no idea (in text) where he's going next. It can't be called a cliffhanger because there's no cliff - he's just moving off in a different direction. But it does end in a rather unresolved note. Fortunately, the other series in this set continue the story - though I think I'll read Smugglers next (different characters who eventually intersect with Ish (late in the Seekers series if I recall correctly)). Not leaving this universe just yet. show less

This next chapter in the series has Ishmael being forced out of his captains position to attempt to work as owner of his own ship. The complex interactions and plot twists make this yet another very good read. Ismael goes through a lot of emotional swings including the death of someone he becomes very emotionally invested in as a life partner.
Another very good book in the series, I just wish there was more.

The stories in the series have become more meditative and wistful as the main character aged, though this last installment takes a sudden turn in the last couple of chapters to bring it to the place it was meant to come to rest. There are probably a few things about the universe which never quite seem to make sense if one thinks about them too hard, a few tics which manifest themselves over and over again to nearly an implausible degree, but the emphasis on character in the midst of setting is what clearly matters to the author above everything. The books and the readings have won a number of awards and the fans of this author are numerous as well.

Owner's Share is a wonderful conclusion to this series. Taking the journey with Ishmael in Trader's Tales has been a very enjoyable experience. This final book in the series is much longer than earlier ones and I was happy it was. One suggestion I'd make is to read the books in the Trader's Tales series in order beginning with Quarter Share. There is more here than a space shoot 'em up.

Owner's Share is a wonderful conclusion to this series. Taking the journey with Ishmael in Trader's Tales has been a very enjoyable experience. This final book in the series is much longer than earlier ones and I was happy it was. One suggestion I'd make is to read the books in the Trader's Tales series in order beginning with Quarter Share. There is more here than a space shoot 'em up.

Will miss this series. Although I was not happy with a few things near the end of the series and would have loved to seen some of the original characters revisited but a good overall ending. Look forward to reading more from Lowell's universe.

The last and luckily longest novel in the space opera series, hopefully Lowell will come back to the series sometime in the future because I'd really like to know what happens to Ismael after the novel concludes.